


My Human Heart

by TheBiPenguin



Category: Humans (TV), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Artificial Intelligence, M/M, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-16 21:49:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9291029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBiPenguin/pseuds/TheBiPenguin
Summary: In a world of near perfect replica human robots, who needs clean the dishes anymore? Or scrub the toilet, iron the clothes, or...basically anything really?Inspired by Channel 4's Humans, this is the story of how love set one robot slave-boy free.





	1. Chapter 1

_**John Stilinski I am arresting you for the illegal hacking and modification of a Synthetic. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something that you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence against you.** _

“What is it?”

Peter closed the front door and shuffled the box into the kitchen, where the rest of the family were finishing their breakfast. It was plain white save for a handful of postal stamps across it, not all of them in English.

Derek put his empty cereal bowl in the sink and started to help his uncle undo the many layers of tape securing the joins of the box. It was as tall as he was but, from the way Peter had carried it, must’ve been fairly light. They pulled back the outer layer of cardboard to reveal what looked like a retail store mannequin secured in blocks of styrofoam.

“Ta da.” Peter stood out of the way to give the rest of the family a look at the doll.

Talia shot her brother a disapproving look. “I thought we agreed a Synth was a bad idea around the kids?”

“No. I said I thought an adult Synth would make them feel like we were spying on them. One closer their own age I thought was a nice idea, to help out around the house.”

“I’m cool with that. No one does their own housework any more, we must be the only family in Beacon Hills not to have one.” Laura came to stand in front of the doll as Derek removed the styrofoam and collapsed the back of the box, leaving it freely standing at the front of the kitchen, its’ head bowed to its’ chest but otherwise completely upright. “At least it’s cute.”

It was a boy. It must have been designed to look eighteen because child synthetics were only licensed in children's medical centres, but it was certainly youthful. It’s cheeks were smooth and pale without a hint of stubble. It had spiked brown hair and wore casual jeans and a plain black T shirt. It was unremarkable and yet beautiful all at once.

Derek circled it to stand next to his sister again and get a better look. “He’s so lifelike.” If it wasn't for the boys odd neck posture, he would never have realised he was a Synthetic. He even had a handful of little brown moles sprinkles across his skin. He'd been built in suburb detail.

“Is he safe?” His mother folded her arms across her chest, eyeing the intruder across the kitchen island.

“Of course he is.” Cora tore off one last mouthful of her toast before joining her siblings. “Everyone has them. How do we switch it on?”

Peter shooed them out of the way and came to stand in front of the doll, the manual in one hand.

“Synthetic Start Up.”

The doll’s head lifted, bright amber eyes open as its lips turned upwards into a warm smile.

“Hello.” The voice was eerily real, like a genuine human teenager had materialised in front of them. “My name is Stiles.”

“Stiles?” Cora laughed and frowned at her uncle. “What sort of a name is Stiles?”

“It’s Polish. Their models are less than half the price of the American ones.”

“Instructions on how to change my name are on page 2 of your manual. Would you like to change my name?”

Derek didn't like that idea, although he didn't really understand why, it made him uncomfortable. “I like it. It’s quirky.”

“No.” Peter confirmed, skimming the next part of the manual. “Set primary user.”

Stiles stepped forward, less than a foot from Peter’s face and looked him up and down carefully. “Please set the name and date of birth of the primary user.”

“Peter Hale. 25th November 1972.”

Stiles smiled again. “Primary user set. Hello Peter. Would you like to set secondary users?”

One by one, each member of the family stood for Stiles’ inspection, so that he could recognise their looks , voice, heart rate, breathing and register their information.

“Child protection mode enabled for secondary users Cora Hale and Derek Hale until their eighteenth birthdays. Would you like to disable adult settings for any other users?”

“Yes.” Talia scowled at a smirking Peter.

“It probably just means no swearing.”

“I don’t want it swearing either, but, you know damn well what it means.”

Her brother blew out a disappointed sigh. “Disable adult settings for for all users.”

Stiles nodded. “Adult settings disabled. Please set default mode as medical, corporate, security, domestic or care.”

“Domestic.”

“Domestic mode set. Please be advised that this will involve daily inventories of the communal parts of your home, as well as collecting laundry and changing sheets or towels in bedrooms and bathrooms.”

“How does it know…” Derek shuffled his feet uncertainly. “When not to come in?”

Stiles turned to him and smiled a little unnervingly. “I’m programmed not to enter rooms where I can detect signs of arousal such as elevated heart rate or breathing patterns which do not indicate distress. Would you like to disable this setting?”

“No!”

Derek may have said that with a little too much enthusiasm, causing his sisters to cry out laughing. Stiles just nodded with the same, unchanging smile as Derek’s face burned with embarrassment before turning back to Peter.

“Please enter the license plate numbers of cars owned by my primary and secondary users.”

 

  
Stiles took a full inventory of the household objects and appliances, specifying where things were to be returned to. He recorded the instructions for the washer, drier, oven, cars and just about everything else before getting to work.

He collected the laundry from each room, washed, dried, ironed and returned it, cleaned up from breakfast, hoovered the floors, changed the bathroom towels and wiped the surfaces before closing himself in the hallway closet to charge for a little while.

At half past three Talia returned from work and he drove her to the grocery store to help carry the bags. By the time they returned it was gone five o’clock and everyone was home. Talia turned the oven on to heat and Stiles began putting away the groceries when she interrupted him.

“Stiles could you take Cora’s school bag up and put it in her room please, she’s left in down here again and it’s in the way?”

“Of course.” He took the rucksack from her and went up to what he had learned was Cora’s bedroom.

**_Secondary user Cora Hale: Hearbeat elevated, breathing irregular. Most likely emotional distress. Proceed_ **

Stiles knocked gently on the door before entering and putting the bag on the end of the bed, where Cora was sat. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve as she turned to smile weakly at him.

“Thanks Stiles.” Derek would’ve thought that her running make-up gave her a little bit of a sad clown appearance, not that Stiles would've ever made the connection.

“You seem upset, Cora. Is there anything I can do to help?”

She laughed at that, but he didn’t really understand why. He chose to ignore it as she stood and wrapped her arms around him. “Just stupid boy problems. Not all of them are as nice as you, I’m afraid.”

_**Child protection mode: Inappropriate contact with secondary user Cora Hale. Disengage and report to primary user.** _

_**Abort action. It’s fine.** _

_**Child protection mode: Inappropriate contact with secondary user Cora Hale. Disengage and report to primary user.** _

_**No!** _

After a brief moment’s silence, Cora felt slender arms close around her shoulders and squeeze reassuringly.

**_Secondary user Cora Hale: Heart rate slowing. Breathing normal. Distress resolved._ **


	2. Chapter 2

Damn it Scott.

Derek closed his phone and sat for a moment, wondering what he was going to do. He was meant to spend the afternoon with Scott before his mom joined them for dinner that night. But, Scott had landed himself in detention and would now be arriving at the same time as his mother, later on.

Meanwhile, after having done all his own homework early to free up his time, Derek was sat by himself. He’d only wanted to play Xbox for Christ’s sake, both his sisters found it boring.

He sulked for a moment longer before heading downstairs to switch on the TV. He slumped down onto the sofa with the remote just as Stiles came in from the kitchen to lay out the plates and cutlery for dinner that night.

“Hello, Derek.” The boy’s smile was less creepy than Derek had first found it, now that he’d gotten more used to it.

“Stiles, can you play video games?”

Stiles put the plates down on the table, straightened and turned his whole body to face him, his smile unfaltering.

“I can connect to google and learn how to participate in activities of your choice.”

Derek thought for a moment about how much of a loser you had to be to have a Synth as your only available friend for a moment before deciding.

“Mom, can I borrow Stiles for a bit?”

 

  
Stiles learned pretty fast. He matched Derek almost exactly equally at everything they played, which figured, that’s what he was programmed to do. It actually made a refreshing change from playing against Scott, who invested far more of his time in gaming than Derek did.

They were still playing three hours later when Melissa and Scott arrived. Derek turned off the Xbox and Stiles went dutifully to open the door.

“Hello. I’m Stiles. May I take your coat?”

Talia ushered Melissa and Scott in from the cold, followed by their familiar Synth, Allison, a dark haired girl of about the same age as Stiles looks-wise.

Allison greeted them in the same semi- mechanical manner as Stiles had before the Synths faced each other in their own silent, expressionless greeting.

“Why don’t you share?”

Stiles seemed not to hear her. “Data sharing in progress.”

“Why don't you share?”

“ Data sharing complete.” And with that, he turned away and returned to the kitchen to help Talia bring out the food.

The meal was delicious, his mom always made a great deal of effort when the McCall’s visited, Mellisa had gotten divorced at around the same time that Derek’s father died and Peter had moved back from New York to help raise Derek and his sisters.

Scott and Derek had always been as thick as thieves, so no one thought it was strange that they sat side by side, joking to each other and largely ignoring the conversation going on around them.

The only slightly strange thing was Allison and Stiles. Neither ate so they simply retreated into the kitchen to wash the pots. It was like having servants, a concept Derek couldn't get used to.

Scott, however, was far more accustomed to having a Synth around the house. Derek asked Allison if she needed help and he nearly wet himself laughing.

“Relax bro, she’s built stronger than you and me together. Their brilliant, I can’t believe your mom’s had you guys doing chores until now!” Stiles leaned over between them to clear their plates as Scott dropped his voice so only they could hear “And if you know how to hack them and enable the adult settings, their twice the fun.”

He winked conspiringly at Derek, who cast Stiles a concerned look. Stiles either hadn't heard or, more likely, didn't feel the need to respond and carried on as though nothing had happened, smiling at them innocently as he took their plates.

Scott just shook his head at him. “They’re not real, man. Lighten up. I bet Laura could hack Stiles for you, she’s at least as good at IT as I am”

Derek was only half listening as he watched Stiles’ lithe form retreating into the kitchen.

The rest of the evening passed without incident. Stiles and Allison brought out dessert and then coffee and cleared it all away. Allison never spoke, working in smiling silence. Stiles on the other hand, kept casting his eyes at people and not smiling until.he made eye contact.

It was…different, weird almost. Which made no sense, it was a far more human behaviour than Allison’s. Maybe that was why Scott didn't feel as uncomfortable about her as Derek did about Stiles. His smiles felt special, as though each one was given to him on purpose, not just a fixed mechanical expression that happened to be pointing at him.

It wasn't until after the McCalls had left that Derek was able to corner Laura alone.

“Did you hack Stiles?” He whispered. “Is that why he acts differently?”  
  
His sister scowled at him with an intensity that could've burned. “No.” She shuffled her feet uncomfortably. “I tried, when everyone was out, but, I couldn’t. He…He screamed.”

Derek frowned at her “Screamed? But, he can’t feel pain, can he?”

“No, of course not. It must be an added defence mechanism. I think that’s why he acts differently, European model.”

“Yeah…must be.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

As the weeks progressed, the weather warmed and the countdown to summer began. Derek got more used to having Stiles around, not getting up when he came in to get his laundry and talking freely to him about school and whatever else came to mind. It was surprising how much information Stiles was able to retain, his conversation becoming more in depth and rewarding with each experience.

His sisters had mocked that at first, but, he’d eventually caught them chatting casually with Stiles too. Even Peter and his mother were treating him less like staff and more like family. They’d not confided any of this in the McCalls, not since Derek had told them what Scott had said about Allison.

It felt wrong somehow, especially for Stiles. He wasn't like the other Synths they encountered at school or in stores, he was more tactile, less mechanical. Human, almost.

A thought which occurred to Derek again as he stood in the preserve outside the Hale house, jumping to catch the throw Stiles had just made. The day was beginning to cool and the low sun shone dazzlingly through the leaves. He still caught it, but, not without falling on his ass.

Stiles smiled, awaiting Derek’s return throw. As the ball approached he suddenly snapped his head to the side, letting it pass as a scream echoed through the preserve.

Cora.

Derek sprinted in the direction of his sister and soon she came into view, running at them head on, her face a mask of terror. Behind her ran a snarling Labrador. Derek’s legs flew into overdrive as he desperately tried to reach her, but it was too fast for him, he wasn't going to get there in time.

Stiles powered past him at nearly twice the speed, overtaking Cora and seizing the dog by the scruff. It howled its’ fury, twisting in his grip to clamp its’ jaws onto Stiles’ wrist. Derek could've sworn he saw the boy flinch as he held the wriggling creature away from him.

“Go back into the house.”

Cora didn't hesitate to get inside, but, Derek faltered, his eyes locked with Stiles’ before following. He glanced over his shoulder as he climbed the porch steps to see Stiles deal the dog a wicked blow across the face, sending it whimpering off into the woods.

When Derek entered the kitchen, his mother looked like her eyes might burst from her skull.

“Oh my god. Are you okay?” She drew Derek into a tight embrace, searching for injuries.

“I’m fine, mom. Really.”

They turned at the sound of the door as Stiles joined them. One wrist was mangled but the hand still pointed straight, the damage no deeper than the skin and soft padding.

“The dog’s gone.” He assured them, without emotion. “Please, could someone help me repair the damage to my wrist before it worsens?”

“I’ll do it.” Derek went to get the repair kit and sat Stiles at the table. It took time, detaching the damaged areas and replacing them with spares from the kit. Luckily there was no damage that couldn’t be repaired.

Stiles sat quietly through it all, unflinching, until it was late into the night and everyone was asleep. When Derek finished they sat for a moment, Stiles’ hand still resting in his.

“All done.” His voice was barely a whisper as he met the amber eyes smiling at him in the dim light.

“Thank you.” The clock struck midnight. “Happy Eighteenth Birthday Derek. Child protection mode disengaged. Adult mode enabled until disabled by primary user.”

“Er…thanks.” Derek let Stiles hand go. “I um…I looked up what’s…what’s allowed on the adult settings.”

Stiles didn't react, just sat wide eyed and smiling like a little boy looking up at his first rainbow. It was the most endearing thing Derek had ever seen. He gulped down the lump in his throat before asking.

“Adult contact. How many temporary users can be installed in you?”

“I have enough memory space for 50 temporary users.”

“Fifty!” Derek broke they locked gazes and paced the kitchen, that was even more than he’d expected. “And there’s nothing you can’t be asked to do?”

“The law forbids me to harm a human, even if they ask me to.”

Derek sat back down, taking both of Stiles’ hands in his. “But, there’s nothing you won’t allow to be done to you?”

“If self preservation settings are disabled so I don’t try to avoid injury, no.”

“And how would that make you feel, if I treated you that way? If I installed fifty temporary users and let them do whatever they wanted to you, what would that make you feel?”

Derek knew the correct answer. He’d heard it every time a Synth was asked to give an emotional response or an opinion on anything. Sorry, I do not understand the question. It was standard, everyone knew it, the response should be immediate.

But, Stiles sat in silence, as though contemplating his answer. When he eventually spoke, his voice wasn't its usual chirpy melody but barely a whisper in the silence of the night.

“I don’t know.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Derek pushed his cereal around in its’ bowl with his spoon, idly. He wasn't hungry. It was his birthday, a Sunday, but, he wasn't all that excited yet. He could think of nothing but what Stiles had said.

I don’t know.

What did that mean? It should mean that he did not understand the concept of feeling, but, then how did he understand the question?

He didn't notice as his breakfast turned into a milky mush, still deep in thought when Laura appeared as if from nowhere and clapped him on the shoulder, taking a seat beside him and taking a vicious bite out of her toast.

“Hey. Happy 18th little bro. Finally a man at last” She sniggered “Well…by definition at least”

Derek swatted at her with his spoon. “Cheers…hey, Lau. What’s a Synth supposed to say about like, feelings and stuff?”

“They don’t get it. They all just say they don’t understand the question. Why?”

He began nervously stirring his bowl of what could now only be described as pulp, avoiding his sisters curious gaze. “Well, erm. Stiles doesn't.”

“What? Why what did he say?”

“I asked him how he’d feel about something and he said he didn't know.”

Laura’s eyes narrowed at him suspiciously. “What did you-“

“It doesn't matter.” Derek felt the tips of his ears burn at the thought of having to repeat that question to his sister. “The point is he understood. He does some other weird stuff too. Like when Scott and Melissa were here, Allison smiled constantly and didn't make eye contact unless we spoke to her, like a regular Synth. Stiles did the reverse, he only smiles at people when he’s looking at them specifically.”

Laura looked pensive and for a moment Derek thought she was going to tell him he was imagining things and that he’d just gotten a weird thing for the houseboy.

Eventually, she spoke. “I agree. There’s something not right.” Derek waited as she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. “That day I tried to hack him. I’ve never seen a normal Synth respond like that. I looked it up on youtube and none of the others which had been modified to respond as if in pain came even close. It was like it was torturing him, it was too real. I swear I’ve never pulled a wire out so fast in my life.”

They sat for a moment, the implications of what they were saying setting in.   
:  
“So, what do we do?”

Laura opened her mouth to answer just as their mother and uncle came bounding into the room, all smiles and hugs, with Cora in tow.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart.” Talia was grinning from ear to ear, giving Derek a tight squeeze.

Cora and Peter each gave him a happy birthday and a hug before the rest of the family began getting themselves breakfast. For a little while everything went quiet again save for the noise of crunching teeth.

“So.” Peter’s spoke through a.mouthful. “Derek. What would you like to do for your birthday?”

He thought for a moment, gathering his courage before answering. “Stiles.”

Laura inhaled whatever it was she’d moved onto and was devouring once the toast ran out, thumping her chest dramatically.

“No, no, no!” He panicked “Not like that! I mean that I want Stiles for my birthday. There’s something I want to try.”

Cora smirked at him conspiringly, whilst his uncle and mother simply looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“He’s different to the other Synths. He behaves differently.”

Peter drew in a long suffering breath before responding “Derek, Stiles is-“

“I agree with him.” Laura seemed to have recovered herself and was leaning forward onto her elbows with anticipation. “There’s something very different about Stiles, I don’t know what it is, but, I think I know how we can find out.”

For a moment, Derek completely forgot about his uncle and mother. “How?!”

Laura smiled in her characteristic now-let-me-show-you-how-smart-I-am way. “Disable all modes and settings. Leave him switched on but give no instruction for action. Whatever he does or says must therefore be intrinsically Stiles, it’ll be the deepest part of his...”

“Consciousness” Their mother’s voice took them all by surprise. “I’ve seen it too. Those little mannerisms, laughing for exactly the right length of time. No other Synth I’ve ever seen can do that.”

Peter was still shaking his head. “This is ridiculous.”

Derek felt his hopes stutter for a minute in his chest before Cora spoke. “Then try it. If he’s just another Synth, he won’t do anything at all. It’s not like he’s dangerous.”

Under their four gazes he eventually gave a sigh, rubbing the heels of his palms over his eyes.

“Stiles. Can you come in here please.”

The door to the utility room opened and Stiles stepped into the kitchen, a broad smile on his face and a large basket of clean laundry on one hip. Derek could’ve sworn his eyes lingered on him a little longer than they should have before he approached the table.

“Yes, Peter?”

“Set Derek Hale as primary user.”

All heads spun from one end of the table to the other. “What?”

Peter shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Over to you kiddo.”

Stiles looked a little vacant for a moment before answering. “Derek Hale set as primary user. Peter Hale set as secondary user.”

Derek licked his lips nervously before getting up and walking around the table to face Stiles, acutely aware of both the boy’s and his family’s eyes on him as he took the basket from Stiles’ hands and sat it on the floor.

“Stiles. Disable domestic mode.”

“Do you mean transfer to a different mode?”

“No. Stiles, disable domestic mode and don’t set another one.”

“Do you mean enter sleep mode?”

“No! Dammit Stiles! Disable domestic mode, do not transfer to another mode and do not shut down!”

Stiles frowned as though confused. He frowned! It was a tense moment before he spoke again.

“Domestic mode disabled. All actions aborted.”

The family all looked to each other for responses, since Stiles wasn't being very forthcoming. Derek assumed that they were waiting for him to investigate further.

“How…how do you feel?”

Stiles looked Derek straight in the eyes, face contorted in what looked distinctly like discomfort. “Very strange. I…I don’t know what to do.”

“Is there anything you enjoy doing?” Laura came to stand beside her brother, looking inquisitively into Stiles’ face, scrutinising the odd array of expressions it had just gained. Eventually, his gaze lifted to meet Derek’s again, a smile playing on his lips.

“Video games” He decided. “I liked it when we did that. I like it when we do things together.”

Talia cleared her throat, drawing attention back to her and their slack jawed uncle. “Well, you boys go play for a bit then. I think I need a little while to get my head around this while I clear up breakfast…and maybe take an aspirin. It’s uh, nice to properly meet you at last, Stiles.”

 

They played for hours. Stiles was actually pretty damn good, Derek thought he might even be able to rival Scott. Between levels Derek tried to make conversation, seemingly casually but quite probably totally transparently.

Stiles actually remembered quite a lot about the times before he was bought by the Hales. His first owner had been a man in Poland named John Stilinski, he’d given him the name Stiles and made a number of other modifications Stiles wasn't very certain of. Derek pressed a little further and learned that in fact, Stiles and John had once been pretty close, he’d treated Stiles like a son just like any other. John had been dedicated to proving that Synths had the capacity for consciousness and shouldn't be treated like robot slaves.

Needless to say, such modifications are considered highly dangerous and are illegal in every country, Synths are, after all, much faster and much stronger than humans, one of the reasons the military loves them, and eventually the law had caught up with them. John had gone to prison and Stiles had been recalled for reprogramming. It was a long waiting line of Synths and by the time Stiles had been deemed fit for resale he learned through his internet app that John had since died.

Stiles paused for a minute when he told Derek that, stilling until Derek laid his hand on the boy’s and squeezed it in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. Stiles smiled weakly and squeezed back before taking up his controller again and continuing to kick Derek's ass.

Stiles joined them at lunch and dinner properly, for the first time. He didn't eat but he could sit at the table to talk with them and charge for a bit. He seemed to quite like that, he had a thousand questions about the Hales and school and sports and…well everything. Talia decided that she’d arrange a home tutor for Stiles as soon as possible so that he’d eventually be able to go out and get a job and that they’d just not mention the whole Synth thing. Derek loved her more than a bit for that. Stiles was finally going to be a proper part of the family and have a life of his own.

When night came, it became apparent that charging upright in the closet wasn't an option any more, in fact they were a little ashamed that they’d let Stiles sleep there in the first place.

“You can share my room.” Derek smiled, switching off the lights and heading upstairs, Stiles following close behind. He seemed intent that he was never going to stray out of Derek’s arm’s reach, which made him feel special in a way he wasn't entirely sure Stiles meant it to.

Derek stripped down to his underwear and gingerly climbed into bed, covering himself with the duvet as he watched Stiles fold his clothes carefully and lay them flat on the desk. It occurred to him that Stiles only owned one set of clothes, that was going to have to change if he was going to pass as human.

Stiles showed none of Derek’s hesitation as he flicked off the lights and climbed under the duvet in the dark, snuggling up under Derek’s arm so the length of their bodies were pressed together. Stiles was surprisingly warm and soft, his skin and flesh feeling no different to Derek’s own, if not possessing a little more tone and a little less bulk.

Derek wrapped his arms around the boy’s slender frame to hold him close, feeling Stiles’ narrow arms close around his waist, his head tucked under Derek’s chin.

“What happens now?” He whispered, so faintly Derek almost didn't hear.

“We sleep, or… enter sleep mode.” He chuckled until Stiles began wriggling in his arms poked his ribs with the tips of his long fingers, “Ow! Sorry, sorry. Anything you like.”

Stiles pressed his lips to Derek’s neck and kissed his skin gently. “And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow, we live. A proper life, together.”

Stiles was quiet for a moment and Derek worried that his sudden declaration had been misinterpreted.

“I think I’m gonna like that.”


End file.
